Sonogram reminds her why she does what she does

Allison Donohue is the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas’ new pro-life director. Donohue has experience as a pro-life sidewalk counselor. PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG

by Allison Donohue

“Two people went in. One person came out.”

These were the thoughts that I had my first day on the sidewalk outside of Planned Parenthood. I could share with you countless stories of women who look at me with eyes that say a thousand words and tell stories of the broken path that brought them to this place.

A simple request from a priest to come and pray on the sidewalk began my life journey into the pro-life movement.

On that day, I would encounter the face of abortion. Abortion was no longer a number — it was a woman with a child in her womb that would quickly be robbed of his or her life.

During these first five months in my new position, I have had the chance to meet amazing, passionate people who live their lives to spread this Gospel mission of life.

I have had the amazing chance to meet women who run our local crisis pregnancy centers and provide much-needed physical and emotional support to women in need.

I have seen the hands and feet of Christ truly present in the clinics they run. Women come in their doors broken and in need of help. They leave with a renewed view on life and a happy baby in their womb, much different from the many women I encountered on the sidewalk of Planned Parenthood. We are blessed to house three of these clinics in northeast Kansas.

I have also had the experience of working side by side with many of our pastors to create a vision and plan for the archdiocesan pro-life office.

It is apparent that our archdiocese is filled with fearless men and women ready to fight for life, from conception to natural death.

I must say that my most encouraging encounters have been with those who are much younger than I am. It is the zeal and fire in the young souls of northeast Kansas that inspire me to create a vision that allows them to be on the forefront of the fight for life.

In my office hangs a picture of a sonogram. To the naked eye, it may not mean much. But to me, it’s the reason I do what I do each day. It’s the picture of a baby who wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t gone and stood for life on that day in May.

I look forward to working with the great people of our archdiocese to continue to promote defending life — from conception to natural death.